


A Very Krampus Christmas

by PlumPromises



Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: F/M, Happy Ending, I promise, Survival Horror
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-02
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-12 12:13:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,320
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28510239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlumPromises/pseuds/PlumPromises
Summary: The Umbrella Academy meets Krampus during their first ever Christmas. Chaos ensues and feelings are shared.This is a horror, so please be warned in advance that things will get unpleasant.
Relationships: Number Five | The Boy/Vanya Hargreeves, Vanya Hargreeves & Everyone
Comments: 8
Kudos: 26





	A Very Krampus Christmas

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up there's plenty of violence and awful things ahead, but because this is a belated Christmas gift to the Fiveya community, there IS a happy ending.
> 
> A VERY special thanks to Jules5971 and Fiveyaaas for their inspiration, support, and keen-eyed beta reader abilities :) You both rock! Thank you!!

**_December 24 th, 2001_ **

The Umbrella Academy didn’t celebrate Christmas the same way normal households in the world did. Oh, they had the tree and the beautifully wrapped presents underneath. And yes, they had the giant wreath on the front door. They had strings of twinkling blue lights strung along the rooftop and around each front facing window. The chandelier in the foyer sparkled with tinsel and crystal snowflakes. The ground-floor rooms were decorated with small snowmen, tall nutcrackers, countless strands of garland, and other displays that showed off how festive the Academy could be.

But none of it was _real_.

It was all surface level; a farce to fool the masses into believing they were more than a rich man’s vanity project. Beyond the grand staircase not a single decorative snowflake could be found. No Christmas cards, no ornaments. There were no lights beyond the street windows. The boxes below the tree were full of nothing but air and wishes. The yule log would never see fire, and the children would not bake nor decorate Christmas cookies with Grace unless it was being recorded for the five o’clock news.

This was because Reginald Hargreeves did not believe in celebrations, not Christmas, not Thanksgiving, and not any other holiday on the calendar or trivial observance such as anniversaries. He did, however, appreciate the optics that his decorations brought to the Umbrella Academy. It was, he had decided soon after announcing his soldiers to the world, a good idea to keep their publicity positive. After all, people could easily forget the image of a blood-soaked Number Six when they could replace that picture with one of him grinning in front of a tree, an unwrapped gift in his hands instead.

And so, it was when the children were twelve that they got to experience a shallow version of the famed holiday for the first time ever. Vanya was hidden away upstairs as photographers came to the house to capture images of the Academy members posed in front of various decorations through the dining room, foyer, and in front of the house. She knew that none of it was real, that it was their father’s way of feeding a new narrative to the world without revealing what really went on inside the house. Despite knowing this though, she loved it all, nonetheless. The lights and tinsel and crystal snowflakes were magical, and they transformed the downstairs into a world she had never known could exist, a world full of beauty and excitement that didn’t require special powers for participation or enjoyment.

“Mom, can you tell me more about Christmas please?” She called out from her bedroom as Grace passed by, the sound of laughter and footsteps echoing faintly from below.

She lowered her book as her mother approached the door, reading today instead of practicing, her violin shut in its case and propped in the corner, forbidden until their guests had left.

“Why of course I can!”

And over the next two hours, Vanya learned everything there was to know about the holiday that would be upon them in less than a day. She learned about St. Nicholas and Santa Claus. She learned about the Christ child and how the church had adopted the date of the pagan’s winter solstice to marry those celebrations with a holy holiday. She learned about why people exchanged gifts and brought giant trees into their homes, about candles in the window and the significance of ornaments. She learned about the stories of flying reindeer, the grinch, Scrooge, the nice list, and most importantly of all, she learned about the naughty list. This bit of information intrigued her more than the rest.

“What happens to the people on that list?” She prodded, hoping there might be some justice in the world for people like her, people who were always ignored and put down by the ones they loved. “The naughty ones, I mean.”

Surely, she knew more than one person who would be on that list.

“Well. There are many different stories and beliefs about that.” Grace began.

And that was how Vanya learned about Krampus.

Of all the information her mother had bestowed, something about this malevolent horned beast resonated greater than the rest. An assistant to Saint Nicholas, he would punish those that had been bad through the year with chains and a birch rod used for whipping, or he would simply abduct them altogether and carry them off into the night. The thought of it gave her a shiver.

Vanya would never have called herself cruel or spiteful, but she knew that her vision for Dad and some of the others getting a good smacking wasn’t very nice. She imagined everyone but Five and Ben getting a few good thwacks while their father was chained and carted off to whatever hellish place creatures such as Krampus lived. Perhaps she was meaner than she thought, and at this consideration she hoped that _she_ wasn’t on a naughty list too somewhere.

“Does Krampus get letters?” She asked, ruminating on how wicked her dark feelings might truly be. “Like Santa?”

“Not that I’ve ever heard of. But what a silly thing to do. Who would want to write to such an awful monster?”

Vanya frowned. Was it really such a terrible consideration? Was wanting some comeuppance for her loneliness and suffering so horrible a wish?

“And you’re sure they aren’t real?” She’d never gotten any Christmas presents before, so she felt certain that Santa was nothing more than a myth. But every myth came from somewhere, didn’t it?

“They aren’t real, at least not from any evidence currently available. But that doesn’t stop a lot of children from believing in them anyway.”

“Like having faith?”

“Exactly. Sometimes having faith, even without evidence to support it, can give people some much needed comfort during challenging times. Do you have any other questions for me?”

Vanya shook her head, then smiled when her mother kissed her forehead before standing.

“Now you know your father’s company will be here until late this evening, so I’ll bring dinner up for you.”

“Okay Mom. Thank you.”

And then Vanya was alone again, the sound of her mother’s footsteps fading fast into the muffled chatter below and the quiet cheer of holiday music that made more sense this year than any other before it. With a sigh, she lifted her book again and tried to read, tried to drown out the noise of everyone gathering without her again. But it was impossible. Allison gave a charming titter. The tinkle of toasted glasses rang. Luther and Diego let out hearty laughs. As her eyes unfocused from the words, she imagined Ben picking at whatever refreshments had been laid out, smiling as Klaus made fun of somebody behind their back or snuck several glasses of champagne. She pictured Five absorbed in some deep conversation with the smartest person in the room that _wasn’t_ their father, maybe even rolling his eyes after discovering the person wasn’t as smart as they’d initially let on.

Her heart ached from the solitude and separation, and her throat tightened as she held down a sob.

She put the book back down then and thought about all the stories her mother had told her. Even if her mom _wasn’t_ aware of any evidence, there had to be _something_ out there that inspired so much faith in things that people couldn’t see. Right? Did believing in them make them real for some people? Did she just need to believe it hard enough for it to come true? Her father had never encouraged fantasies or silly dreams, but given what she’d learned about The Christmas Spirit, it seemed if there was any time of year to hang her hopes on unrealistic hooks, this would be that time.

And so, with that in mind she marked her page and put the book away, then tore a blank sheet out of her journal and set to work writing her letter to Mr. Krampus (in care of Mr. Claus). She spent an hour making sure the wording was _just right_ , then folded it and smiled. All done. Now she needed to find an envelope and stamp. Vanya puzzled over where to find these for a moment, then was struck by a memory of accidentally intruding upon Allison answering fan mail. She’d had a stack of envelopes and stamps right there in her vanity!

She frowned. That would require her to sneak into her sister’s room. She’d never done such a thing before, and if she were to get caught… She shivered at the mere thought. The idea of Krampus was creepy sure, but ultimately it was far removed from reality; this, not so much. Her sister was menacing in a way she’d never associated with her brothers or many other things in life, and the notion of being alone or in trouble with her sister almost inspired the same level of panic that confining spaces did. Something about Allison felt dangerous, and Vanya wasn’t keen on ever feeling the girl’s wrath.

Breathing through that swell of anxiety, it provided the final push she needed to make her decision. She _needed_ to send her letter, needed to express her pain and give herself hope of reprieve. She was desperate for the comfort that might bring her.

Chewing on her lower lip, Vanya stood and went to her door, leaning out to eavesdrop. She could hear talking and the occasional laugh. Maybe if she was fast nobody would ever notice… Slipping off her shoes to keep the small heels from clattering across the floorboards, she set them to the side and then crept her way down the hall towards Allison’s bedroom. Her ears were hot as they listened out for any indication that somebody was headed for the stairs, but surprisingly, she managed to get in, find what she needed, and sneak back to her room without anyone noticing.

It was an exhilarating feeling she realized, doing what she wasn’t supposed to, and for the rest of the day Vanya glowed from her little spurt of adrenaline, the likes of which she hadn’t felt since Dad upped her medication right after the Academy went live. Feeling rebellious, she skipped her evening dose after dinner so that it wouldn’t dampen the sensation. It was nice, and she treasured it all the way until bedtime.

The house was dark and quiet when Vanya sat up from her bed hours later. She was pretty sure that everyone was asleep, but to be certain, she sat there for a few minutes longer and listened. The usual groans and creaks of their home were the only noises in the night, but she sat there for a minute more to gather her courage. She’d never snuck out on her own before, and even though it was only to the corner of the block, her heart was already fluttering with worry. What if she got caught? What if she couldn’t get back in? What if—? What if—? What if—?

“No! You can do this.” She interrupted the thoughts with a hiss. “Just _go_.”

And so, goaded by her own words, she pushed the covers away and slid out of bed.

Her feet patted softly as she inched down the hall, then down the stairs to the family room in the basement. Even though Pogo’s room was on this floor and posed a risk, her coat, gloves, and boots were there as well, and there was no way she could brave the chilly night without them. She slid into the winterwear with her breath half-held, her senses straining for any suggestions that Pogo might stir from his slumber to catch her red-handed. By the time she was bundled up and ready for the cold, Vanya was sweating.

As she clutched the envelope in her hand, she glanced from it, to the door, and back again. Only a little further to go. Taking in a deep breath, she went to the door and unlocked it as quietly as possible, wincing as the latch flipped with a sharp metallic pang. She waited, expecting the worst, but when nobody came to catch her, she grinned and slipped out into the darkness.

Vanya had planned to sprint to the mailbox and back in an effort to minimize the amount of time she could get caught out of bed, but once she was outside and the door fell shut behind her, a strange emotion settled into her chest, smoothing out the constricting apprehension that had been sitting there all evening. She felt… _free._ With a broad smile she began to stroll down the street, taking her time to enjoy the lights on the windows and the quiet that permeated the sleeping city. Her heels clicked along the pavement, and she felt a deep sense of peace soak in. It was nice, being away from everyone and out from under the restrictive roof. And so, her trip to the mailbox felt altogether too short as she dropped the letter in and watched it disappear.

That was that. The end of her adventure.

She wasn’t sure what would come of it, if anything came at all, but regardless she would need to head back home and that realization made her chest tighten. She didn’t _want_ to go home. She hated it there, hated being excluded and hidden, hated the way almost everyone there looked down at her. She was a burden. Unwanted. Ordinary. An ugly, plain pebble next to gleaming rare stones. She didn’t belong. If Vanya could have wished Five out of his bed to join her, she easily imagined herself urging him to run away with her right then and there. They could walk to the next city and sleep in a barn somewhere like the travelers in that fantasy book he’d stolen for her from the public library. They could roast marshmallows and he could tell her stories and jokes, things she could laugh at as loudly as she wanted without worrying they’d get caught or that she’d get told to stop distracting him, told that he had more important things to do.

She wasn’t sure if he’d even _want_ to ever leave with her since he was a star here, amazing and talented and oh so loved, but she clung to the tiny hope that he might anyway.

That desire burned bright in her heart as Vanya turned and headed back the way she came, but when she was only a few steps away from the mailbox, something wet and cold landed on her cheek. She reached for it and looked up, wondering if she could recall rain forecasted for today, but it wasn’t rain at all. It was snow! Her mouth drew up into a smile as she watched the sky, motes of white falling sparse at first, and then strengthening until the heavens were choking on it. She held her hands out to catch the flakes and spun once in her joy, her steps a little lighter as she made her way back to the Academy.

Somehow this seemed like a good sign.

Sneaking back into the house felt less perilous, but she continued to stay as quiet as possible. As she’d hoped, Vanya made it all the way back to her room without any issues. When she turned the corner though to go into her bedroom, she nearly jumped out of her skin in surprise and let out a gasp. Somebody was sitting on her bed!

“Where did you go?” Five’s voice floated out from the dark, and she put a hand to her chest in relief, feeling the thuds beneath her palm.

“You scared me.” She said instead of answering, intoning it as an accusation.

“Where’d you go?” Five asked again, persistent, and unapologetic as ever.

“Just—um.” She considered lying, but immediately decided that was absurd. Not only did she have no reason to lie to him – he would never judge her the way the others did – but he would know if she were being dishonest anyway. He always knew. “I mailed a letter.” She explained, stepping over the threshold and closing her door. “I would have done it earlier but…”

“Guests.” Five finished for her and she nodded. “It couldn’t wait ‘til tomorrow? The mail doesn’t get picked up in the middle of the night you know.”

“I know that.” She said with a defensive edge. “But I wanted to get it in there as soon as possible. There’s no telling what might happen tomorrow; if Dad would even let me walk down there.”

He hummed in agreement.

“You’ve got a point. I heard Dad mention to one of the photographers something about another damn photoshoot; or maybe an interview or something. I wasn’t really paying much attention.”

“Tomorrow?”

He nodded.

Vanya came and sat beside Five on the bed, their feet dangling off the edge and their shoulders nearly touching. The narrow space between them seemed to have an energy of its own, and she was distinctly aware of it; of him. They’d always been friends, but ever since the Academy had been announced, she’d felt her feelings evolve. She felt more protective now, more worried, just _more_. She thought about him constantly, especially when he was gone, and she couldn’t help but wonder if he did the same. Somehow, she doubted it, especially when he had more dangerous and exciting things to think about. It was that very doubt that made her feel awkward around him most days, concerned about embarrassing herself in front of him more than anything else and how any foolishness on her part might push him away forever. She hated this change and the new worries it brought, but she couldn’t seem to stop it.

“Do you think they’ll come to the house again?” She asked, dreading another day locked alone in her bedroom.

“Who knows.” He shrugged. “I hope not. I’d rather us get dragged off somewhere stupid than you get stuck in here all day again. It’s bullshit.”

“It’s okay, I guess. I don’t mind so much if it benefits you guys.” She said with a half-shrug of her own, a smile creeping in at his sweet comment, even if it had been said with his usual brusqueness.

She’d learned long ago that the tone of his voice didn’t always convey his feelings.

“Well, you should. I sure as hell do.”

They fell quiet, and that familiar discomfort stirred in her stomach. She didn’t know what to say next; didn’t know what to do. What if she said the wrong thing or made a fool of herself? Thankfully, he was used to her bouts of quiet and didn’t seem to notice the inner turmoil. Her eyes focused on the window in front of them, and as she saw a wisp of snow pass by, she knew what she could say to divert their conversation in a new direction.

“It’s snowing outside.” She told him, nodding her chin towards the window he’d already been staring at.

She realized as soon as she’d said it that he had probably already noticed that himself, and all at once she felt stupid for making the statement at all.

“I saw.” He said, no hint of condescension despite the obviousness of her declaration. “Were you out walking in it?”

“Mmhmm. It was so pretty. I hope we get a lot of snow this winter.”

He hummed in agreement, then turned his head to look at her.

“So, what was in the letter?”

Vanya glanced at him, her cheeks burning from not only how close he was, but by embarrassment over him possibly discovering her childish action. If he knew she’d written a letter to some fictional being out of sheer jealousy, frustration, and spite, then he might never want to talk to her again! She swallowed and looked at the window instead, her fingers pulling at the bottom of her pajama top.

“I…” She paused, trying to decide what to say before taking a deep breath, squaring her shoulders, and steeling herself. “I don’t want to say, and I don’t want to lie to you, so please don’t ask again.”

She forced herself to meet his eyes, and he appraised her with a thoughtful frown. The stare lasted several seconds, and her heart began to pound a little harder in anticipation, but then he nodded, and her muscles relaxed.

“That’s fair. Will you tell me who it was _to_ at least?”

She shook her head, and his frown turned into amused curiosity, one side of his mouth curling up while his eyes narrowed. It was a look she couldn’t recall seeing before, and it made her feel too warm to be sitting so closely to him.

“You’ve never had a secret from me before. Not sure how I feel about this.” He expressed.

“I’ll probably tell you one day.” She admitted, knowing how often she chose to confide in him.

“You’d better. I won’t be able to stop thinking about it ‘til then.”

She bit her lip and smiled, and when she caught his eyes dart down to her mouth, her cheeks flared with heat. A stray desire flashed; a hope that he might kiss her. She felt that space between them all but crackle with electricity. He must have felt the atmosphere shift as well because he cleared his throat then abruptly slid off the bed to stand, and Vanya knew she must have made him uncomfortable somehow. What if he’d read the daydream on her face and was disgusted by it? What if—?

“It’s late.” He stated. “You aren’t planning to sneak out again, are you?”

She shook her head, looking up at him through her bangs, too mortified to do much else.

“Good. Right. Okay well. Goodnight.”

And before she could respond his fists were clenched and he was gone in a flash of blue.

“Goodnight, Five…” She whispered to the empty room, missing him already and wishing she could control the color in her cheeks.

When Vanya woke in the morning it was to a window completely frosted over. She sat up and gaped at the sight. Freezing temperatures had definitely _not_ been forecasted. Slipping out of bed, she trembled at the frigid air rolling away from the glass, hugging herself as she approached it to peer out. The sky was a black void of dark clouds, and the view beyond was washed gray by wind whipped sheets of snow, the torrent appearing static-like in the dim streetlamp. Leaning closer to the window, she squinted to try and catch more detail.

Everything was coated. The alleyway was blanketed, Dad’s car was buried up to the tires, and heavy icicles hung everywhere, gleaming in front of nearby strands of Christmas lights so that they looked like shards of captured rainbows. She even spotted a snowman already built beside the car, surprising given the weather and lack of bright light. It stood next to the hood wearing a lopsided coal grin and a threadbare top hat. Vanya had always thought that snowmen looked charming, but this one looked ominous somehow as it stood in the early morning darkness. Its smile was too wide and its eyes too direct, too shiny for chunks of coal. It looked as if it could be staring up at her bedroom window, watching, and waiting… She shuddered again and hugged herself a little tighter.

The rest of the morning seemed normal aside from the snow. After dressing and waiting for their mother to call them down for breakfast, Vanya stood at the end of the table behind her chair, the rest doing the same as they all waited for their father to take his seat. Today’s background record was on surviving close quarter combat in freezing conditions, the narrator talking with an air of boredom as he described how best to alleviate numbness in the extremities when fire was unavailable.

Vanya tuned it out easy enough, her eyes glancing to Five instead. He seemed to feel her look and returned the stare, the corner of his lip lifting into a secret smile. She was happy to see it, glad that her actions hadn’t ruined things, or that her refusal to give him any more information on the letter hadn’t left him angry. He didn’t like secrets, and she couldn’t recall ever keeping one from him before, not even when she’d tried to surprise him with handmade gifts for their birthday. She wondered what he thought she was hiding, and she hoped he would never find out, the time between then and now letting the silliness of her action settle in with a good deal of shame at the immaturity of it all.

Once their father sat, the rest of them followed suit, and for twenty minutes breakfast went as it always did, though Vanya _did_ notice her father check the time several instances and glance towards the darkened windows. She wondered if he was expecting the photographers soon. As usual, silence was broken only by the drone of the record player, chewing and unpleasant scrapes of cutlery against plates.

Luther and Allison exchanged glances that Vanya was sure they thought were discrete, their relationship stirring a flicker of jealousy inside her. Klaus rolled a joint beneath the table with one hand; he really was getting quite good, though she wasn’t sure it was a talent worth boasting. Ben read a book he’d snuck in, his eyes pinned down to his lap, though every clink and clatter of forks or knives had him glancing up for fear of getting reprimanded. Diego picked at the carvings he’d etched into the arm of his chair between bites, digging the groves ever deeper. They would probably replace his chair again soon.

About halfway through the meal, Vanya was in the middle of taking another bite when the power went out, the sound of the record scratching to a stop loud in the fresh silence. She paused with the fork hovering between her mouth and the table as she glanced at where her siblings were sat, and then at her father’s place, the darkness so absolute that she couldn’t see one of them. He set his utensils down, calm as ever, and Vanya heard her mother’s heels tapping over to him as if the action itself were a command.

“Gather the torches and bring them back straight away. One per person.”

Grace’s heels clicked away, and there was a quiet clatter of everyone putting their utensils down, but nobody spoke. As the seconds passed, Vanya’s eyes adjusted to the lack of light, the dim lamps from out in the alley beside them giving just enough so that she could meet Five’s eyes. He said nothing, but knowing he was looking at her provided a source of comfort.

It wasn’t long before their mother returned, Pogo at her side, both of them carrying an armful of flashlights. They were handed out accordingly, Vanya a little surprised that she was getting one as well.

“Take the children upstairs and get them suited up.” Their father declared as he stood.

It was only then that Vanya realized she’d never seen the power in their home go out before. She hadn’t even known they _had_ this many flashlights. Her stomach flipped and a fist of nervousness punched into her chest. Was something wrong?

“Come along children.” Their mother said sweetly, urging them to stand as she switched her own light on.

Luther and Diego were up in an instant while the rest of them scooted more slowly out of their seats. As Vanya started forward, she felt Five touch her lightly on the back, his head leaning in and his breath against her ear.

“Stay in your room. Okay? I’ll find you afterwards.”

She gave a quick nod and hurried her steps, the sound of everyone jogging along the stairs more disconcerting than it had ever been before. It was always the final noise she heard before they disappeared on a mission, and it had become a precursor to many an hour of waiting in nervous unease for word of their safety. She’d learned to hate that sound, and now it only felt more foreboding.

As their mother ushered Klaus, Diego and Ben down the hall, Five stopped in Vanya’s doorway as she slipped into the bedroom and set her flashlight on the dresser, lit and facing the ceiling. He leaned against the frame with both hands, blocking the way as if she might try to dart past him.

“Stay in here, stay quiet, and keep the door closed. It’s probably just an electrical issue considering how decrepit everything around here is, but just in case it isn’t…”

He let the sentence hang, and she nodded, wringing her hands together.

“Be careful, Five.”

He grinned, and it made her worry for him all the more. Instead of answering, he fisted his hands and blinked away, probably up to his room to swap outfits. Vanya sighed and closed her door, then paced the narrow space between her bed and the wall as she listened to the unseen bustle of activity. It couldn’t be anything serious, she thought, not here, not at _home_. Nobody would _dare._ Would they?

“This way!” She heard their father call out, and the tense energy in her stomach turned nauseating.

Vanya clenched her hands against her chest and walked to the window, wondering if she would spot anything out in the alley. As she leaned near the glass the cold bit at her skin, the snowstorm from last night and this morning raging on with no signs of abating, the sun still hidden behind too many clouds to even provide the barest of light. She squinted through the windswept sheets of snow and looked down, her mouth falling open in surprise.

The snowman from before had been joined by four others. One stood at the edge of the alley, its stick arms too long and stretching from one building to the next as if it were trying to block passage. Another sat below the fire escape that ran from the attic down to the ground floor, waiting underneath the ladder. Vanya paused in her surveyal of the snowmen, pondering why she felt the need to use the word _‘wait’_ in her assessment. Because that’s what it looked like; she surmised, taking in the upturned head and the beady eyes that shined too brightly to be lumps of coal. This one had a thin line for a mouth and a long gray scarf that flapped with every gust. Another snowman stood to the other side of her father’s car, and another behind it, essentially blocking it from moving in either direction while the one she’d seen before seemed to have shifted a little, now guarding the driver’s side door. But it couldn’t have moved…

A tremor ran through her as she stared down at them, the drum of running footsteps fading from earshot. She swallowed the lump in her throat and turned to face the door. All she could do now was wait.

While Vanya worried in her bedroom, Five and the others followed behind their father as he led them to the foyer now that they were suited up, a large hunting rifle held firm in his hands while a shoulder lamp beamed into their faces. Pogo and their mother were nowhere to be found, so Five had to assume they were working on the power issue, not that Dad would bother giving them any more information on that. Everything was _always_ need-to-know, and apparently none of them ever seemed to need to know anything. It was infuriating. Once they were all standing in a semi-circle around their father, he gave them each a look as he began to speak.

“We are to presume this is an attack on the Academy. Never has storm nor foe managed to eliminate our electricity before, so we must conclude that some outside element has finally accomplished such a breach. This cannot be allowed. Number One and Number Four, you two search the lower level. Number Two and Number Three, you search this floor and the courtyard. Number Five and Number Six, I want you to search the second floor and the rooftop. Any questions?”

“No sir!” Luther answered.

“Couldn’t it just be a faulty wire somewhere?” Five asked, not bothering to hide his derision, though he _was_ pleased that the task would keep him closer to Vanya in case this _was_ something to be worried about.

“Doubtful. Now go. There’s no time to waste. I will monitor your progress in the security suite. Return here once you have finished. Enable the secondary alarms should you require assistance.”

And Five knew they’d get nothing else out of the old bastard after that. So, he sighed and looked to Ben instead, the others already filing off in their assigned pairs to scout their designated areas.

“You ready?” He asked.

Ben nodded, and without another word the two of them headed back up the stairs. When they reached the top, they shared a glance.

“Should we split up?” Ben asked.

He may not have been a fan of fighting, but Five knew his brother was confident with his power. It had never failed him before, and there weren’t many – none, in fact – who could stand up to him.

“We can do one better. Start down the hall and I’ll jump into the rooms while we pass. If it isn’t clear, you’ll know pretty fast.”

“Sounds good.”

The two began their sweep of the floor, first with a cursory glance around the mezzanine to be thorough, and then they headed towards the hall that would lead them to the section of the building used for their classes and training sessions. Even though Five wanted to check on Vanya, he knew there was no point looking into their bedrooms as they’d all just come from there. Maybe on the way back to the foyer, he decided.

As they stepped through the jagged opening that delineated one building from the next, Five nudged his chin towards the first door coming up on their left and shined his light on it.

“If there’s nothing in there I’ll come right back out, so keep moving. I don’t wanna spend all day on this shit.”

Ben gave a crooked smile.

“I know what you’d rather spend the day doing.”

Five gave him the finger and blinked past the first door without waiting for a response. It was the lab they used for chemistry and biology lessons, the cold metal tables reflecting the bright light coming from his flashlight. The windows were completely iced over. The refrigerator in the corner used for holding samples and dissection specimens hummed. The Bunsen burners sat quiet and unlit. Their stools were all pushed properly back underneath their workspaces. Everything was as it should be, and so he jumped back out into the hall, right back to his brother’s side.

“What do you know anyway?” He asked, continuing the conversation.

“I know I’d have to be blind not to notice you giving her the same looks that Luther gives Allison.”

“Pfft…” Five let out a noncommittal noise then leapt into the next room with a flicker of blue light.

This was their main classroom. A row of seven desks sat in a long line, a wide blackboard ahead of them and still holding onto the lesson notes from Friday’s final lecture, a list of seven notable political events in the early 1900’s scrawled in their mother’s beautiful script, each of them assigned to do a paper on one of them. Five hadn’t started his yet and would probably wait until the day before it was due, as usual. Essays were inane, and he had little interest in foreign scandals. More importantly though the room was vacant, so he jumped out to the hallway again.

“Deny it all you want.” Ben went on as if he’d never left. “But I’m not stupid. When you found me in her bedroom last week you were ready to _murder_ me.”

“Bullshit. Don’t be so dramatic.” Five snapped, blinking into the next room, the student library.

The space was surrounded by shelves from floor to ceiling on every side, broken only by the two tall windows that interjected the bookcases on the exterior walls. Both were filled with darkness, and Five wondered what time it even was. The sun should have been up by now, or? Five gave a quick look over the two long desks in the middle, both pressed together to form a large workspace while eight chairs sat around it. Five was ready to turn and head back into the hall, but as he began to pivot, he heard an unfamiliar sound, or at least one unfamiliar to this space: a coarse scratching, barely perceptible over the wind howling outside.

He tilted his head to listen, trying to discern a source. The window? He started for one of them to check. Five was only a few steps closer when the scratching gave way to a sudden crack, and before he had time to do anything but react on instinct, both windows shattered inward at him with a great glass-filled gust. Without thought, he ducked below the desk and shielded his head from the rain of shards that splashed across the floor and furniture. Momentarily blind, his senses absorbed what they could – the tink of falling glass, a jingle of high-pitched bells, the crunch of snow, and what sounded like the laughter of young children. What the _hell_ was going on?

With a frown, Five rose from his crouch to see what had broken in, but he wasn’t at all prepared for the sight as his beam of light landed on them. The hulking body of a snowman sat in both busted window frames, water already dripping from them and running down the walls. That… made no sense. He stared at them and tried to rationalize. They were on the second floor. Snowmen couldn’t climb. Snowmen weren’t sentient. And yet there one of them was, twig arm waving at him while a button eye started to droop with its melting face. For half a second he wondered if he could be hallucinating, or if maybe they were machines or mirages.

Five was torn between calling for Ben and approaching them for a closer inspection. Before he could do either though, a resounding _boom_ echoed through the entire Academy, shaking the floor beneath him and rattling the books, the sound of something enormous and heavy landing on their roof. This was immediately followed by the clunk of numerous feet and the hiss of things being dragged across the snow above them. A second later he could hear somebody shout from elsewhere in the building. One of his brothers? Then an alarm began to whine, the piercing wail rising and falling in fast intervals as a blue light began to flash high on the wall. Blue was the basement.

“Ben!” Five called out, worried about his brother.

The door swung open straight away and crashed against the wall.

“What was—?” Ben started, but as his eyes landed on the snowmen he stopped and stared.

Five was relieved to find him okay, but he had no answer for him, and when he glanced over to look at the snowmen again, he took a surprised step back as they both began leaning forward. He fisted his hand, ready for a fight, but the two snow-coated figures simply tipped and tipped until they fell onto the floor with a wet crunch, the snow and ice exploding outward and spreading across the floorboards. With a frown, Five glanced at his brother, only to notice that the other boy’s eyes were locked onto the new piles below the windows. When he turned back to them, he understood why: they hadn’t been _only_ snow. The twin mounds were stirring.

“Shit.” Five breathed, unsure of what to expect.

Neither of them got another word out before two green snakes burst from their frosty covering and slithered after them at a breakneck pace. The boys both leapt out of the way, rolling sideways as the snakes shot forward to impale them with venom. Five heard something clatter to the floor as a beam of light slashed through the room, the telltale zip of Six’s suit opening right after, and he wasted no time. He kicked a chair out of his way as he grabbed at one of the desks, pulling it forward until it provided cover he could hide behind. There was a weighty whoosh through the air not a heartbeat later, and something heavy landed on the floor with a moist squelch. Something rustled along the ground, and Five saw the head of one of the snakes round his makeshift shield. Before it could get any further though it was yanked backwards and let out a high-pitched squeal that grated like nails on a chalkboard.

Long since hardened against the violence of Ben’s power, it wasn’t the sound of two bodies getting whipped back and forth across the floor that had Five frozen in place. No, what had him locked in sudden thought was the realization that those hadn’t been snakes at all, and that they rather looked like—

“What _are_ these?” Ben called out.

Five stood from his hiding place in time to watch the tips of six tentacles absorb back into his brother’s gut, the churning skin along his stomach hidden fast behind the uniform. Shifting his gaze to the bodies on the floor, the sight was puzzling to say the least. The two ‘snakes’ had both been torn in two, but as with his initial observation, he could see they weren’t any reptiles known to man. No blood. No innards. No scales. In fact… He knelt beside one of them and poked at it with a finger, the body covered in a coarse fur that felt artificial.

It wasn’t living at all. It was…

“Does this look like the shit Mom hung up all over the downstairs to you?” He asked, looking up at Ben as his brother collected his light from the floor and rubbed at his arms to ward away the new chill coming in through the broken windows.

His brother joined him on the floor and prodded one of the motionless strands. He looked at the sundered edges, and Five knew that he was checking for gears or other mechanisms to explain how it could move. There was nothing though. No gears, no wires, no moving parts of any kind. It didn’t make sense. Psychically controlled, maybe?

“I don’t get it.”

“Me neither, but one of the others shouted out earlier and looks like the basement alarm was tripped. We need to get back to everyone and grab Vanya while we’re at it. If these things – whatever they are – can get in through the windows…”

He didn’t have to finish. Ben nodded in understanding, and a moment later they were on their feet and sprinting down the hallway side by side.

“Heard something hit the roof too.” Five went on, both of them in good enough shape to hold a semblance of conversation even while running fast.

“Yeah. Sounded big.”

As they approached the mezzanine, the sound of a rifle going off resonated with a thundering crack. Both boys winced but didn’t detour, determined to find their sister before checking on their father. As soon as they turned down the hall towards their bedrooms, Five’s heart stammered with dread. All the doors, including _hers_ , had snow weeping out from under them. He couldn’t wait for Ben.

Instead of running the rest of the way or saying a word, he blinked ahead, straight into Vanya’s bedroom. His innate spatial-intuition gave him a rudimentary layout of the room, so he knew that she was safely on the bed when he calculated his appearance between it and the wall. She was cowering in the corner, a blanket wrapped around her as wind swirled into the room, a bank of fluffy snow heaped from her shattered window and spread all the way to the door. On the windowsill sat a large red ornament. He’d worry about that in a minute.

“You okay?” He asked, turning to her, and when she gave a nod, he held out his hand. “Come on. We’re getting out of here.”

She took hold without question and let him pull her from the bed. Bits of glass glittered in her hair, and several cuts across her cheek sent a flare of anger through his core. He wanted to hug her, wanted to make sure she wasn’t injured in any other way, but he knew getting away from the open window was more important for now. Her skin was warm against his palm, and he gave a reassuring squeeze. Together they turned for the door, but as she reached out to grab her light off the dresser, his gaze was drawn to the left by the sound of something small cracking apart.

The red bulb grew a hairline fracture and within a second, shimmering strands of golden thread – no, not thread, ribbon; _tinsel_ – began to snake out from the cracks. They slithered out one after the other, feeling blindly at the air, and Five didn’t want to know what they would do after that, not with Vanya so close by. He hastened for the door, dragging her behind him until they met Ben out in the hallway. No words were exchanged as they headed for the foyer together with Vanya between them, but before they could leave the stretch of hall, the sound of wood splintering from one of the bedroom doors preceded another rifle shot from below.

Number Seven winced at the sound and covered her ears, so Five reached back and grabbed her by the arm to keep pulling her forward, all of them running. When they burst out onto the mezzanine, sounds of scraping, clinking, and laughter echoing at their backs, the view before them absolute bedlam. It stopped them in their tracks as they took it all in.

Their father was crouched in front of the main stairs, rifle propped on his leg as he aimed towards the dining room, towards a drum of measured wooden strides. Diego was to the right of him, throwing a dagger into the same space. Luther was at the top of the stairs, his flashlight on the floor and illuminating his back, wrestling with what looked like – another Diego?! – head under his arm as he tried to pry it free. At the sound of their thundering footfalls he looked up, frustration and strain marring his shadowed features. Allison and Klaus were nowhere to be seen.

“Find the others!” Luther’s shout reached them from across the way, and he grunted as he struggled to keep the second Diego held fast, wrenching the strangely silent body sideways to sweep out the legs.

“Come on!” Five didn’t give them time to react to the situation as he tugged at Vanya’s arm again, her hands lowering from her ears so that his grip slid down to hold one.

Five knew that Klaus was last in the basement and that Allison should have been somewhere on the first floor, so he headed for the main staircase, leading the other two behind him. It was the basement alarm that had sounded, so they’d go there first. As they passed by Luther and the second Diego, it was clear that the one being wrestled was an imposter. His features were frozen in a rigid grin, eyes wide and unblinking. He was scratched and scraped in numerous places, but instead of blood there was a cinnamon-colored wound, dry and dropping a dusting of crumbs. With little time to contemplate it, Five continued down, passing by the real Diego and their father. Unable to resist, he turned to see what they were firing at.

The dining room was full of bullet holes, the table lilting sideways as one of the legs wobbled, cracked in half. The fireplace that he could see was doused with snow, daggers of ice hanging along the mantle as white blanketed the floor, stretching out from the hearth as if somebody had dumped a metric-ton of it straight down the chimney. Beyond the new décor, Five got a good look at what they were fighting off even though his eyes didn’t want to believe it. Fucking _nutcrackers_. Three feet tall and grinning at them with painted mouths, rifles held ready with needle-sharp bayonets at the end. One of them fired off their weapon with a pop and Dad ducked behind the banister, ten, twelve, no _fourteen_ of them marching forward with little regard for the daggers embedded in their skulls or the gaping bullet holes in their chests.

“Oh my god.” Vanya breathed out from behind him, but there wasn’t time to let anyone acclimate to the strange enemies in their midst.

Five tugged her along, tearing his own eyes away from the oddities to head for the staircase leading down. Klaus first. He could worry about what the hell was going on later, once everyone was safe.

“Keep moving!” He shouted over his shoulder, heedless of whether or not his sister’s footing was stable as he forced her onward.

The racket of combat in the foyer dimmed as they stumbled off the last stair and down into the basement hall. The pitch-black stretch before them was cut in three by their beams, lit momentarily brighter with pulses of blue light as the small alarm bulb flashed off and on. Dad’s rifle went off again, but Five was more concerned now with the flutter and crinkle of something plastic-like on the other side of the wall coming from the family room. It wasn’t something he could associate with anything else, and so he was wary of what they could find. He looked back at the other two.

“Vanya, get behind Ben and keep a few feet back. Run back upstairs if anything—”

“No.” She interrupted resolutely, and he could see there was no talking her out of it, nor any time to try.

“Fine. But stay back.”

He and Ben drew ahead, creeping towards the corner where somebody had bashed open a doorway with a sledgehammer long before any of them could remember, possibly before any of them had even been born. Five kept his body hunched forward and his hands in loose fists, ready to either jump elsewhere or drop to the floor and roll out of the way should his brother need to release the entities. He paused at the corner and kept his light down, then craned his neck to get a quick view of what lay ahead. As with the rest of the strange intruders, what he faced now was no less bizarre, but it at least answered his question of what would come from the red ornament in his sister’s bedroom.

Floating in the communal space, suspended overhead by some unseen force, several Christmas ornaments hung in the air, bobbing and drifting smoothly like Tis-the-Season jellyfish, the forgotten flashlight on the dining table reflecting off of their surfaces. Each of them was a different festive shade, but they all featured a series of veiny cracks along their undersides. Out of the cracks dangled long tendrils of silver and gold tinsel, the strands moving up or sideways to seemingly propel the bulbs. He watched as they reached out, running along the furniture as if to get a lay of the land. Feelers? Following one of them as it draped across the top of the dining table, it was then that Five noticed the body crouched beneath it. Klaus.

Five pulled back and looked over his shoulder to Ben.

“There’s four… _things_ in there right now, and Klaus is trapped under the table.”

“Things?” Ben whisper-hissed back. “What do you mean by _things_ exactly?”

“Like…” Five shaped his hand to mimic a round shape and scowled, struggling to force the words ‘decorative ornament’ out because of how ridiculous it sounded, even knowing they looked exactly like that. “Like a round thing with tentacles. Okay? Whatever they are, they’ve got Klaus pinned and I’ve got no clue what kind of damage they can do.”

“So what’s the plan?”

“I’ll just—” But before Five even had a chance to lay one out, Number Four shrieked.

“Shit! No, no, no!” He shouted, the squeal of chairs sliding against the floor ringing out, and then there was no time to plan anything.

“Try to distract them!” Five shouted to Ben before dashing around the corner and blinking to the foosball table.

He dropped his light and ripped one of the rods free with a two-handed tug, then jumped to the top of the table and swung it at the nearest bulb. As it swayed backwards to evade the blow, he caught Klaus skittering backwards along the floor from the corner of his eye as shining, silvery tendrils reached for his legs, tugging their floating base along in the air. Ben rounded the corner at the same time, his feet pausing as he registered the enemies. Five took a step back as willowy tinsel arms reached for him, swiping the metal rod in their path.

Klaus seemed to have the same idea as he grabbed at a chair and held it between him and the chasing ornament, but Five lost sight of him as the shimmering tentacles coming his way wrapped around the rod with impossible speed, tearing it out of his grasp without warning. He blinked backward in an instant, then watched in awe as the tinsel elongated and wrapped around the entirety of his weapon until none of the metal was visible anymore.

Then, all at once, the glimmery appendages doubled in quantity, bursting from a new crack, reaching out and filling the air so that there would be no way past them without spatial jumping. Klaus scrambled back faster and threw the chair, the wood coiled behind layers of binding within seconds, and Five knew what he would have to do.

“Four, back here!” He called out, unable to see beyond the shining wave of tinsel arms as they multiplied and strangled everything they came across, the endless rustle they made deafening as the synthetic material wound and brushed against itself.

His brother heard him though and spun around onto his hands and knees, propelling himself up to his feet before closing the gap between them. Five didn’t give him a chance to protest, reaching for his shoulder with one hand while fisting the other. They blinked out of the kitchen, back to the other side of the wall, but Five quickly realized they weren’t out of hot water, even as the sound of his brother vomiting tried to distract him.

Ben had backed up into the hall and Vanya hovered several feet behind him, flailing strands of gold and silver curling and coiling around the doorway, the entire opening overflowing with the strangling tinsel. Five grabbed his sister’s hand and shoved Klaus towards the stairs, then looked over his shoulder to shout for Number Six to follow, but instead he saw his brother unzipping the front of his suit and time seemed to stop for a second. Deep in his gut he _knew_ this was a shit idea, and he bellowed out for Ben to stop.

“Don’t!” He took a step back towards the kitchen, but it was too late.

The eldritch tentacles burst out of Ben’s midsection and thrashed forward, aiming to take down the floating bulbs, but there were too many tendrils in the way. Each thick tentacle was choked by the tinsel, the gold and silver bindings wrapping around each one with impossible speed, squeezing and pulling and they didn’t stop there. Once they had hold, Ben tried to back away but couldn’t. Their grip was unbreakable, and he only had time to turn his head and meet Five’s stunned stare before the gleaming strands wound themselves all the way up to him, coiling around his body faster and faster until he was cocooned in the stuff.

“Ben!” Five heard Klaus scream their brother’s name and rush forward, and he flung his arm up to stop Number Four from joining the same fate.

“He’s gone!” He shouted into his brother’s face. “We gotta go! Now!”

But he didn’t bother letting either of his siblings make the move of their own accord. Keeping hold of Vanya with one hand, he looped his arm around Klaus’s and dragged him backwards towards the stairs. Shit. Shit. _Shit_! Ben was gone! He could feel his heart thundering with barely contained panic, but he knew he had to keep it together for the other two. They needed him, and he couldn’t lose his shit. They needed him. _Vanya_ needed him.

Five managed to get them both up the stairs and Klaus collapsed on the floor behind their Dad to dry heave, the old man reloading his rifle while Diego was busy fending off the Nutcrackers who’d managed to get out of the dining room. He was going at them hand-to-hand, all his knives but one already protruding from their bodies and doing much of nothing. At the top of the stairs, Luther was stomping on the crumbling remains of Number Two’s doppelganger, the figure no longer moving.

“Number One!” Their father shouted out suddenly, aiming at another Nutcracker. “Is the way cleared?”

“Yes, sir!”

“All of you up the stairs.” He commanded, letting loose a shot that made Vanya flinch again.

Five was ready to argue, ready to demand why they not leave through the front door, but there was a sudden crash against it that pulled his attention. The door shuddered and the wood groaned as something heavy pressed against it from the other side.

“Move!” Dad demanded, and Five agreed.

He grabbed Klaus by the collar and tugged him to his feet.

“Leave me alone.” His brother moaned, swatting at his hand, but Five wasn’t having it.

He hauled him up and pushed him towards the stairs.

“Go! We can save Ben later!” He kept pushing him and tugging Vanya along behind them.

“Number Six is down?” Dad asked as he stood, Diego pausing at the words with his foot on the first stair.

“I think so.” Five admitted. “But I don’t know.”

He and Diego exchanged a glance, and an understanding passed between them. Without saying a word, Number Two looped an arm around Number Four and urged him up the stairs where Number One waited for them. Five and Seven were right behind them, and their father brought up the rear, ascending the stairs backwards so that he could fire at their pursuers.

Once they were all gathered on the mezzanine, Luther looked at his brothers, his eyes wide and glassy.

“Allison’s still missing. I think she’s hiding somewhere in our training rooms.”

Diego gave a confirming nod.

“We got se– separated when these things attacked.” He pointed to the crushed remains of his lookalike as their father took the last few stairs to join them. “Like giant gin– gin– gingerbread men, until they weren’t, until they looked ju– just like us.”

“Keep it together Number Two.” Dad said, his voice stern, no hint of alarm or concern for his dead or missing children. “We must get to the attic. There we shall take the fire escape down to the car and regroup at a new location. We are—”

“We can’t take the car.” Vanya interrupted, giving a quick look down to the foyer as the Nutcrackers reached the bottom stairs. “It’s surrounded, I think. I saw it from my window.”

“You think, or you _know_ Number Seven? Which is it?”

Vanya looked panicked for a moment, her eyes wide and her face pale. Five gave her hand a quick squeeze, and when her stare darted his way, he provided a barely-there nod of encouragement. He sure as hell didn’t plan on dying because their father didn’t believe her.

“I know.” She said, looking back up at Dad.

“Very well. Number One take the lead. We shall find Number Three and then we will regroup in a more secure location.”

Vanya allowed Five to pull her without resistance, her hand still clenched firmly within his own, her feet moving on autopilot. His touch was a comfort and she clung to it, but it did nothing to dispel the sharp fear coiled in her chest, squeezing tighter by the minute. She had never longed for it before, but she wished for the pill bottle back in her bedroom now, Ben’s face, full of surprise and terror, living behind every blink.

And it was all her fault.

As the group of them sped down the hall towards a staircase that reached every level, Vanya couldn’t help but think back to before Five had come and retrieved her. The sound of her sibling’s footsteps had faded, the lot of them leaving her alone to protect the Academy, and her surveyal out the window had been interrupted when something bright and red smacked against the glass. She’d jumped back with a gasp, only to discover it was nothing more than a piece of trash. It clung fast though, so she’d opened the window to peel it off, shivering from the cold as she’d pulled it quickly inside before shutting the winter out again. But it hadn’t been trash at all, and it hadn’t been any old piece of paper. It had been a Christmas card. She’d almost smiled at the sight until she’d noticed the details. That was when her ghost-of-a-smile had trembled down into an expression of disquiet.

The bright red cardstock had been broken by a centered white oval, and standing in the middle of the blank space had been a roughly sketched figure. Cloven hooved. Horned. Brandishing a chain and a birchwood whip. She’d known who it was straight away and swallowed, opening the card with her heart lodged firmly in her throat. The inside had been plain and white, and there had only been a single line of text within:

##  **Gruß vom Krampus**

She hadn’t needed to comprehend the words to understand the message, but her brain had been quick to argue. It was impossible, right? There could’ve been no way that her letter could—

But then the building had shuddered as something hit the roof, and before she’d even had a chance to react to it, her window had imploded. She’d twisted and ducked, the card dropping from her grasp before drifting beneath her bed, the frigid wind from outside biting at her neck and back and—

“Shh!” Luther’s hiss for them to stop walking and be silent pulled her to the present as she came to a halt behind Five, her front nearly flush with his back, her hand warm in his, the rest of her chilled as the temperature continued to drop inside the mansion. They were at the stairs.

As they listened, the house moaned and yawned with unfamiliar creaks, distant footsteps, spurts of unwelcomed laughter and the occasional bell chime. Luther leaned over the rail and looked up first, and then down, then turned to face them.

“Nothing in the stairwell.” He whispered.

“Could be hiding on the landing.” Diego argued.

“Makes little difference.” Their father stated, ending the discussion. “We cannot stay here.”

They would need to move whether something was there or not, and all of them knew it. Vanya couldn’t help but lean further into Five as a shudder worked through her, her fear creeping to levels she hadn’t known existed, the sensation pressing against her lungs and robbing her of air and reason. The hand wrapped around her own squeezed, but her brother didn’t look back.

“Number One,” their father went on. “You take the lead. Number Two take rear. Number Four, Number Five, keep Number Seven between you. She has no training and will be a liability to us all if we are not careful.”

Five scoffed and mumbled beneath his breath, “yeah and who’s fault is that.”

Even though Vanya appreciated her brother’s quiet jab at their father’s refusal to give her even the most basic of self-defense training, she couldn’t escape the sting of guilt filling her every breath. This was all her fault, and she was putting them in danger just by _being_ here on top of it all! Surely, she was the target for being vile enough to make the requests she had. As they crept down the stairs, her mind churned with scenarios. Maybe she could go find Krampus on her own and ask him to leave the rest of them. Maybe if she begged him, he would forgive the letter asking him to come. Maybe he’d give Ben back. Maybe he would settle for taking only her. It had been so stupid and childish to even humor the dark desire for retribution, and now her family was paying the price. Tears stung her eyes, falling in silence as she clung to her brother. She had to keep them safe; keep _him_ safe.

They reached the first floor without issue and paused at the bottom, all of them glancing up when something heavy thunked against the roof again, the sound distant, but heavy enough for a small vibration to shiver through the building. Vanya found it hard to swallow, choking down the lump that sat in her throat.

“We shall proceed as intended.” Their father spoke, his eyes lowering from the ceiling and back down to them. “Quietly. Efficiently. Number Five,” he glanced their way and Vanya leaned back, hoping he hadn’t noticed how close she clung. “You will do a spatial jump into the rooms as we pass. Number One will open the doors along the way so that we might attack our foes from either side if necessary.”

“But what about—” Five started, but he didn’t get an opportunity to finish when Dad interrupted.

“Number Seven will remain with Number Four.” His eyes turned to Klaus. “You are a member of the Umbrella Academy. Protecting the feeble is part of your duties. Failure is unacceptable. Am I understood?”

Vanya glanced at her brother and saw him pale even further, his hairline glistening with sweat as his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides. She knew he was devastated about Ben, and even though they weren’t close, she wanted to hug him and promise him that she would make this right. Five being forced from her side would give her that opportunity, and so she tugged her hand free from his grasp and moved over to Klaus, avoiding both their stares as she made herself small and looked at the floor.

“Very good. Let’s proceed.”

They moved as a group again and eventually she, Klaus and Diego trailed at the end. When their knife-wielding brother turned his back to watch the shadows they’d passed, Vanya leaned closer to her assigned guardian.

“He’s okay.” She promised softly, and when Klaus looked at her, his dull stare gaining a little luster, she offered him a tentative smile. “I know you probably won’t believe me,” she went on in a whisper, “but I think I know a way to get him back.”

“Ben? How?” Klaus frowned, but there was a little more energy to him now, a little more height as he stopped slouching under the weight of depression.

Vanya glanced ahead and caught Five shooting a look back at her before blinking into a room, and as Luther opened the door a second later, she glanced over her shoulder to make sure Diego wasn’t too near. She met Klaus’s eyes and licked her lips, nervous and afraid, and skin tingling as her adrenaline sparked at the very thought of what she intended. If Krampus was here, then she was fairly certain there was only one place he could be.

“The roof.” She answered. “I need to get up there. I think – I think that’s where Ben is.”

Klaus straightened with a frown and looked ahead to their father.

“We need to tell everyone then, we need to—”

“No!” She shushed, grabbing his arm and tugging him down, flushing as Five stepped back out into the hall and caught her clinging to Klaus.

He scowled and looked confused, but they were already at the next door and he had to jump again as their father motioned towards it. As soon as he disappeared, she went on, talking fast.

“I can’t explain how, but this is all my fault. I…” Her throat constricted with guilt. “I did something to bring this down on us, and I need to fix it.”

He glanced over his shoulder to Diego as she had, then looped his arm around hers as if they were old buddies and kept his head bowed conspiratorially. His breath smelled like bacon and marijuana, and Vanya tilted her head forward to avoid it.

“Even if I _were_ to believe you little Number Seven, which, for the record, I totally do _not_ , first, how do you plan to get to the roof without getting shivved by a candy cane and second, what exactly do you plan to do once you get up there? Play a little lullaby on your violin and give them those little doe-eyes of yours? Those may work on _him_ ,” he nudged his chin forward as Five stepped back out into the hallway, “but the rest of the world isn’t quite so smitten by your cuteness.”

Vanya flushed, annoyed that he didn’t believe her, embarrassed that she didn’t have a plan _and_ that he seemed to know her feelings about Five, and fuming over the patronizing tone he’d taken. She dropped his arm as Five looked at them again, her cheeks hot and a ball of anger growing inside her chest. Why couldn’t he understand that she was trying to do the right thing here?

“I don’t need you to believe me _Klaus_ ,” she emphasized his name, displeased that he’d called her by her number. “I just need you to want Ben back and help me.”

They passed by the first open door that their group had left behind, and as they did Vanya glanced beyond the frame, noticing straight away the bulge that pressed down against the ceiling from above.

“Yeah well—”

The ceiling in the room beyond buckled with a sudden crash, and Vanya didn’t have time to scream; didn’t have time to warn him; barely had time to even understand what she saw before it was too late as something giant unfurled from above. In the span of only a few heartbeats, the doorway was filled with the gaping maw of something organic and plant-like. Blood red petals the size of car doors quivered around a bright yellow opening that compressed and relaxed with muscles it shouldn’t have had. Enormous green leaves hung behind it, the entire organism hanging from the opening it had created above.

Klaus managed to turn and face it right as several flaxen vines shot out of the central orifice to wrap around his waist. Vanya backed up and hit the wall, her eyes wide and staring onward in horror. Klaus cried out for help, his hands darting out to grab hold of her arm as Diego rushed forward, hacking at the first vine with the only knife he had left. Chaos erupted in the hall.

Vanya was jerked forward and nearly lost her balance as the vines pulled Klaus into the room, closer to its expansive mouth, the muscles inside quivering with hunger and excitement. Something heavy hit the wall and a second later Luther was there, both hands gripping onto one vine while Diego sawed and cut and slashed at another. With a flash of blue Five was at her side, and his arms wrapped around her waist while Klaus hung onto her arm for dear life, the flashlight clenched tight in her fist as it swayed between them.

“Get it off me!” Their brother screeched as he was dragged past the doorframe, Vanya’s entire body stretching across the hall as Five tried to hold her back.

“We’re trying!” Luther barked, the muscles in his neck bulging from the strain of playing tug-of-war with the monstrous poinsettia.

Their father was there next, and when his rifle went off Vanya flinched and squeezed her eyes shut, her ears ringing over top of the shouts filling the hallway. She let out a cry of pain as something in her shoulder popped, the light falling from her hand, and a second later the unrelenting pull on her arm went slack, sending her and Five careening backwards into the wall, his body shielding her from the impact. They fell to the floor right after, unbalanced, and Vanya looked up with pained tears in her eyes to the sight of Klaus’s feet receding into the creature’s drooling maw. His hands clawed at the doorframe while Luther changed strategies, this time trying to rip the vine in two rather than beat it in a feat of strength. Two vines flailed beyond them, a stream of steaming purple liquid spewing across the room, but whatever freedom Diego had gained his brother wasn’t enough as more grabbing arms slithered out of the open pit.

Five shot to his feet as Vanya clutched at the pain shooting through her arm, and she watched him reach for one of Klaus’s wrists. He barely had his hand wrapped around it when, without warning, the mutated poinsettia let out a furious scream and seemed to yank with renewed might. Klaus shrieked as his fingers were pried free of the doorframe while Diego was whipped backwards onto his back, the knife plucked from his hands as it lay buried in an oozing vine that whirled and thrashed violently. Luther was thrown sideways but managed to hang on, pulled further into the room as Number Four was swallowed waist deep.

The horror was palpable as Klaus’s cries reached a fever-pitch of pure terror, his arms beating at the grasping creepers that would not let him go. Luther grunted as the vine he clutched whisked him across the room and slammed him against a wall, but he wouldn’t relent, refusing to give up. Diego followed them into the room and tried to tug his brother free despite the strongest of them failing at the task, leaping sideways as another curling extension slithered out and tried to latch onto his leg.

Vanya watched as they all worked to try and save Klaus. She was powerless to assist, and the burden of that knowledge bubbled into a sob, her sorrow and fear dancing with the agony that gnawed at her shoulder. She couldn’t imagine anything worse than the sight before her, but then she heard it… further down the hall, coming from behind them. Bells and laughter, but neither merry. Something else was coming.

She turned to her family to say as much, but as her mouth opened the horrorshow in front of her reached its crescendo. The massive poinsettia let out another screech, and as it doubled its efforts to pull Klaus in – he was up to his chest now, eyes bulging and manic and filled with tears – a smaller flower blossomed off of the vine Luther wrestled with. It bloomed in an instant, but as the ruby bud opened and its pedals unfurled, a purple mist sprayed out of it and straight onto Luther.

The effect was instantaneous.

Smoke began to rise from his clothes, the hiss and sizzle of melting fabric and skin a prelude to his screams. Luther released the vine and scrambled away, wiping at his face before peeling off the top of his suit in a blind frenzy as an acrid stench filled the air. Diego darted over to help him while their father took a shot at the giant plant.

“To the hall!” Their dad bellowed, waving them to the door.

Vanya’s eyes darted between One and Two as Five clung to Klaus’s hand in desperation, his heels dragging across the floor as he leaned back and pulled with all he had. Klaus was sobbing with unrestrained terror and calling for their father, their brothers, their mom. Luther leaned against Diego as they limped out of the room, his chest and neck and face bubbling with blisters, his eyes heavy with shock. The poinsettia gave another shudder, and just like that Klaus was snatched from Five’s hands, sucked into the bowels of the plant, leaving them all aghast and speechless.

With Klaus no longer visible, the rest of them scrambled away from the plant. Diego’s head turned toward the noises heading their way, and then he followed after their father, down the hall and heading further into the house. Five swooped down and grabbed the fallen flashlight before lifting Vanya, hefting her uninjured arm over his shoulder in the same way that Diego assisted Luther.

“It’s dislocated.” He said as he handed the light over again, his pitch surprisingly stable for a boy who’d witnessed their brother eaten right in front of them.

“I’m so sorry.” Vanya wept, unable to contain her grief. “I’m so sorry Five. This is all – all my fault! If I hadn’t—”

“Stop.” He shook his head. “This isn’t the time. Keep moving. Don’t think, just move.”

Even though she wanted to argue, Vanya kept quiet, shock-born shivers pushing down her spine and through her limbs. She _needed_ to get to the roof now more than ever, the faces of her brothers seared into her soul as she suffocated on her conscience. This was her fault…

Their group shuffled quietly through the halls as fast as possible, and rather than charge into the rooms as they had before, their father quietly opened each one as they passed and took a quick look within. Two were shut immediately and he seemed to pale, and one would not open at all, a white sludge pushing out from under the door as the sweet scent of peppermint wafted up. But there was no sign of Allison anywhere, and soon they were at the secondary stairwell that connected all the floors.

Their group paused, and it was then that Vanya could hear Luther’s belabored breathing, each one coming out in a strained wheeze. She dared a peek at him and blanched. The skin along his entire torso, throat and arms was puckered and raw, blistered and weeping, the top half of his suit hanging loose around his waist. His eyes were red and puffy, and the skin around his mouth scalded. His head lolled to the side and his feet barely managed to shuffle forward. Diego, while not injured, was soaked in sweat despite the deep cold inside the building, the effort of supporting Luther’s dragging weight growing more difficult with every step.

“We will head for the basement.” Their father spoke at last, having clearly assessed the same things Vanya had. “There is…” he paused, and his eyes met with hers briefly before he continued, “an elevator there. It will get us to safety.”

“An elevator?” Five asked as he and Diego exchanged a puzzled glance. “Since when?”

“That is of no concern.” He answered, reaching into his coat to pull out a handful of rounds, counting them. There were only six left. “Let us not dally.”

“Yeah well the basement is overrun by fucking killer Christmas decorations right now.” Five contended, his grip on Vanya tightening. “It isn’t safe down there.”

“We will not be going to the basement common.” Their father replied before he turned to take them down.

“What about Allison?” Luther grunted.

Their father turned back and considered Number One, and Vanya’s soul wept for her brother. His eyes were half-shut and his face was locked in a grimace of pain, but he was still adamant on finding their sister. Another sob was building in Vanya’s chest at the thought of her sister being taken as well, or worse, and she bit it back by looking at the floor, away from Luther’s agony.

“We will reassess a rescue effort once we are somewhere secure.”

“No!” Luther coughed the word out. “We need to find her! We can’t – we can’t just give up!”

“You are in no condition to worry about anyone right now Number One, so you will cease this foolish debate.”

Seemingly deciding that their father was a lost cause, Luther tilted his head to try and look at the boy supporting him.

“Diego, we can’t just—”

“We wo— won’t.” Number Two promised, a fierceness to his inflection. He shot a glare up at their father. “But we gotta get you somewhere safe first. Can’t be a hero with you hanging off me like this.”

He flashed Luther a crooked smirk, and Number One laughed, wincing as he did before supplying a conceding nod. Their father started down the first flight, but before the rest of them could even begin, one of the doors behind them exploded open, slivers of wood raining out in every direction.

“Go!” Five roared, wrenching Vanya painfully forward towards the stairs behind Diego and Luther.

They were all so focused on going down though that none of them had bothered to look up. And so, as they reached the next flight, Vanya jerked in surprise as a spiral of garland, bedecked with sprigs of holly, fell right down on top of Diego. She released Five as she recoiled into the wall, her eyes bulging as the mass wrapped around his neck, shoulders, and head with such speed that he didn’t even have time to shout. His hands flew up, pulling at the fir branches to free himself, but instead of ripping them away he only managed to loosen handfuls of greenery. Luther tumbled to the floor and Five reached out to help while the garland retracted and yanked Diego up off his feet, pulling him into the middle of the stairwell and the open air. He was dragged upward into the darkness then, his feet kicking out erratically. Then his was gone, his muffled cries overtaken by the sound of playful giggles from the hall behind them, heading their way.

Their father stooped and grabbed one of Luther’s arms, dragging him to his feet, and Five gave Vanya a stricken glimpse, his eyes darting between her and their brother. Gripping at her shoulder, she shook her head and started forward, some part of her understanding that he couldn’t decide whether to help her or Luther, even if there were few other coherent thoughts to recognize. She could walk on her own though; their brother could not. Five must have understood the same because he went to Luther’s other side an instant later and looped the boy’s arm around his neck.

Nobody spoke as they descended, their panting breaths and footfalls preternaturally loud in the open stairwell, each of them staying as far from middle as possible. Vanya paused and leaned against the wall, staring at the empty space where Diego should have been. She wouldn’t join them in the basement. _Go to the roof_ , _go to the roof, go to the roof_ ; she looped the chant in her mind, trying to decide the best moment to run from them and head up. She wanted to make sure Five was safe, but the longer she waited, the worse things got. She needed to go. Soon. _Now_. She pivoted abruptly and started back up before her nerve vanished.

“Vanya!” Five’s voice called to her after only two steps. “Van—”

And then his footsteps were following.

“Number Five!” Their father called out after him, but Vanya tuned them out, taking the stairs two at a time to try and keep ahead.

Of course, in her eagerness to get to the roof and save him, she’d forgotten about her brother’s power until he appeared ahead of her in a blink of bright blue, his hands raised to stop her, a look of absolute confusion and worry stretched across his features.

“What the _hell_ are you doing?” He demanded, the sound of whatever was approaching on the first floor getting closer, the hall only half a flight away.

“Going to the roof!” She said, taking another two steps to try and pass him, but he blocked her with one of his arms.

“What—! Why?” He went to grab her, and she twisted out of the way before ducking past him and gaining a few more stairs.

There was another burst of light and he was in front of her again, this time more centered in her path, hard determination resting across his brow.

“Talk to me goddammit!” He took a step down. “Please.”

“This is all my fault!” She wailed, eyes darting to where the stairs opened to the hallway. “All of it! Klaus, Luther, Diego! But I can stop it, I know I can, I just need to—”

“That’s _insane_!” Five snapped. “How could any of this possibly be your—”

“Because I invited them here!” She all but shrieked, everything building up inside her as the depravity of her actions and their consequences squeezed at her core until she felt like nothing but heartrending remorse would remain. “That’s what my letter was. An invitation.”

A high-pitched ringing began to whine in her ears, the sounds of tiny footsteps and bells and demented giggles growing too close for comfort, too _loud_. She was hyperaware of her heartbeat and ragged breathing, of the chimes, Luther’s labored grunt below and their father’s soft cursing.

“I need to get upstairs and stop this, I need to—”

“I’m not letting you run headfirst into danger.” He growled, and his voice seemed to reverberate in her head, the words tumbling back and forth, gaining momentum to the drum of her heart and growing louder, louder, _louder_ until they throbbed behind her temples

“I don’t need your permission!” She shouted. “I’m not—”

But her argument was cut short by the sight of more than a dozen tiny _things_ standing in the landing to their right, peeking between the rails and looking down at them. Of all the monsters they’d come across, Vanya had never expected to see anything beautiful amidst them all. None of these creatures were more than a handful of inches in height, each one slender and pale, girlish with their pale leotards and white too-too skirts complete with ruffles and dazzling specks of sewn in crystals. They all had white hair, some twisted up into buns while others fell in loose curls or tangled nests, and they all watched with giant violet eyes that were too bright in the dim hallway, their stares bathing the open expanse in a pleasant plum glow.

“We need to go.” Five said, his voice soft as he stared at their visitors.

He went to reach for her arm, and that’s when the tiny beings leapt from their perch. Translucent wings sprouted from their backs, and Vanya might not have feared them save for the grin that began to grow on all their faces. And grow. And grow. And grow until it was the only feature left, six rows of sharp, tiny fangs filling the space left behind, the purple light coming from the backs of their throats now. And then the little savages were on them.

Five swatted them away with a growl and a curse, but as several latched on like lamprey he howled in pain, more of them jumping into the air from the hallway to join the swarm. Vanya bat at them with her flashlight as they swept in and nipped at her skin and tugged at her hair, but she knew she couldn’t give up this opportunity either. As they focused on Five’s violent movements, Vanya darted past him and began to sprint up the stairs, holding onto her hurt shoulder as it sent a volley of pain with every jolt her running wrought.

“Vanya!” Five shouted for her again but she didn’t stop.

She was past the hallway of the first floor and on her way to the second. She rounded the bend and started up the final flight to the roof. The door was straight ahead, cracked open and letting in a stream of freezing air that stung her skin even at this distance. Vanya’s stomach sank at the sight. The view beyond was covered in darkness. It had to be at least an hour or two after sunrise, if not more, and the crack should have let in the blinding light of a city soaked in snow and sun. She swallowed, her lower lip trembling, then she started forward, the sounds of Five fighting off palm-sized brutes floating up and spurring her. This had to end now.

Vanya clicked the flashlight off to avoid being seen too soon, then pulled the door open and stepped out.

The exit emptied into the greenhouse. As she’d already noticed from inside, the sky beyond the glass overhead was dark, the sound of wind and snow slapping against the sides filling the enclosed space with a static buzz. She could almost _feel_ the noise tingling against her skin, and it quite nearly distracted her from the view of flickering fires beyond the frosted glass doors. The orange light drew her. They were waiting.

“Vanya?” A voice whispered from the right, and when she looked to find the source her eyes grew.

“Allison! You’re alive!” She knelt and winced, the movement bumping her shoulder.

“Yeah, where – where’s everyone else? Are they okay? What’s going on here? Who are these people?”

Vanya’s chest stung and her face twitched with restrained despair. What could she even say? Sorry, I killed everyone because I’m selfish and hateful? The words welled up, but they latched to her tongue and would move no further. She looked down, deciding instead to share what little news there was that didn’t involve divulging her other brother’s unknown fates.

“Dad, Luther and Five are on the stairs heading down to the basement. You should go join them. Luther’s not…” she hesitated, unsure how to explain. “He’s not looking great.”

Allison’s face contorted with concern.

“Not looking great? What does that even mean? Is he _hurt_?”

Vanya nodded.

“So why are _you_ up here?”

“I…” She tried to determine which words would make her go, and which would make her stay. She wasn’t fond of lying, but she couldn’t think of a truth that would satisfy. “We’ve been looking for you. I came up to check if you were here. We – we need to hurry.”

“Okay, well then let’s go.”

Allison stood stooped over, keeping low so that whatever was beyond the greenhouse wouldn’t see them. Vanya shifted to the side to allow her sister to pass, and waved for the door, urging her to go first. Her sister frowned, but went ahead, and as they inched back toward the entrance, she kept her eyes out for anything she could use to block the way.

It was difficult to see in the glancing glow of firelight, but _there_! A stretch of rope laid across one of the empty worktables beside empty pots and bags of dried potting soil. She wet her lips and watched Allison push the door then step inside, and once she was several feet away Vanya made her move. She jumped forward and dropped her light, slammed the door shut, then grabbed at the rope and made fast work of looping it around the door’s handle and the iron table leg closest to her. Not only was the table large and heavy enough to put up a fight, but even if Allison _did_ manage to pull it, the table would block the route. She tied a knot like Mom had taught her and stepped back, the sounds of her sister banging on the other side and rattling at the knob following each of her retreating steps, the rope pulled taught each time the door was tugged. It didn’t have to hold forever, but just long enough…

As she turned and headed for the other end of the greenhouse, Vanya picked up the sound of frantic conversation from inside. Five finally reached the top. She had to hurry. He could get to her far faster than Allison. Leaning forward into a run, she made for the exit and threw open the glass door right as the sound of Five leaping out of his spatial-jump resonated at her back, the noise shivering across her skin and brain in a way she could practically grasp.

“Vanya stop!” His footsteps carried after her, and he blinked again – she could hear the telltale rush of air filling the space he’d once occupied – and then he was at her side, but by then it was too late.

Even as his hand curled around her arm, her feet were already coming to a stop at the sight ahead.

Looming on the open expanse of rooftop and bathed in flickering shades of orange and red, stood a motionless congregation of lurid monstrosities. Many were forms smaller than her, stocky and hooded with misshapen faces and repugnant grins that peaked out from below the shadows of their cloaks to reveal crooked teeth and swollen lips. There were several willowy figures that towered like old trees on trunk-like legs, their clawed, branch hands grasped around curved staffs, staring at them with the fleshless skulls of bucks, antlers gnarled and jagged. Tiny creatures stood on shoulders or hovered mid-flight, their eyes large embers that burned with an angry intensity. And there, standing amidst them all, was the one she’d called for. Krampus.

The demon was even larger than she’d expected, towering over the skull-headed creatures by more than a foot, his presence unmatched. He was covered in coarse black fur and stared at her with a humanoid face, the features somewhere between man and goat. He had ibex horns that twisted for the sky and curled backwards, cloven hooves, and a chain held loose in one hand while the other gripped the band of a large basket sitting to the right. His eyes were white and glaring, reflecting the fire as he smiled, a serpentine tongue snaking out between his thin lips to taste the air.

Vanya realized then that Five had stopped tugging at her, his own head turned to take in the group that stood before them. Nobody moved, and nobody spoke, and in that silent stillness she nearly forgot the bone-deep cold that was raking across her skin. The snow and wind had calmed the second she’d stepped outside, but the impossible night was so chilled that every inhalation burned her throat and lungs. She could hear her heart, hear _them_ breathing, hear Five panting, hear somebody pounding on the door from inside the house. Her body gave a violent shudder.

“We need to go.” Five whispered, slowly maneuvering his body to face the intruders, the hand on her tightening.

“Go back inside.” Vanya petitioned at the same timbre, vaguely amazed at how composed and steady her voice sounded. “I brought them here Five. I’m the only one who can send them away.”

“That’s bullshit.” He shot a glance her way, his grip only growing firmer, fingers painful against her skin.

“No, it was _my_ letter.” She asserted, offering him a sad smile, part of her wishing to follow his lead, the other part thrilled and terrified that Krampus seemed to be waiting for her, none of his minions moving a muscle against them. “It’s all _my_ fault, and I need to fix this so please, go back with Allison and Dad and keep them safe.”

“No!” He all but roared, he eyes fierce and his grip iron. “I don’t care _what_ you did, you aren’t doing this without me.”

Her heart skipped, his candor and commitment the most bittersweet thing she’d ever tasted. She knew in that very second that she loved him, and not in the same way that she loved Ben and the others. Her love for them was a warm fire, safe and peaceful, but what she felt for Five was something searing and out of control. It took her breath away and burned her eyes with fresh tears, the feeling so crushing that she couldn’t say anything back. Instead, she nodded, then moved her hand into his when his hold loosened. She loved the boy with every fiber of her being, and she would do whatever it took to make sure he survived this abomination of a Christmas.

Side by side and hand in hand, Vanya and Five approached the hoard of otherworldly creatures. They parted for them so that they could reach Krampus, and as the snow crunched underfoot, the only other sound to be heard was the rasping breaths on either side and the powerful thump knocking against her ribs. Vanya’s skin felt electrified, her brain abuzz in ways she’d never experienced before, every footstep leaving a strange impression in her mind that felt _physical_ ; palpable. She felt like something was building inside of her and wondered if the adrenaline from fear would kill her before the demons did.

Standing before her summoned devil, Vanya stared up at him and could barely catch her breath. His eyes were too bright, the pupils unwavering pinpoints, locked onto her. The smile on his not-quite-human face was unmoving. This close, she had a better view at the basket and couldn’t help but steal a glimpse inside. She regretted it at once. Her brothers were in there. Their forms were desiccated and dead, withered and thin as if every ounce of blood and life had been sucked straight out of them. Bile burned at the back of her throat as she tore her eyes away to stare back up at her guest.

“Please.” The word came out as a croak, a sob rushing out behind it. “Please bring them back.” She let go of Five’s hand and motioned towards the basket, the hot tears searing down her cheeks the only warmth to be found.

She knew Krampus could bring them back if he wanted. She knew he could stop all of this and make it right.

“Take me instead.” She proposed.

“No!” The word burst out of Five and he latched onto her wrist again, but she was undeterred.

“Take me and leave them alone. Please!” As she begged and pleaded with the demon, Five began to tug her in reverse, trying to get her back towards the greenhouse and away from danger. She resisted though, the two of them playing a dangerous game amid so many enemies. “Please I’m begging you, I didn’t mean it, didn’t mean anything that I wrote, I swear! I swear!”

“Vanya come _on!_ ” He tried to talk over her, but she struggled against him, determined to end this.

“No! Let me go!” She shot the demand over her shoulder before turning back to Krampus. “Please, please! _Please you bastard_!” She practically fell to her knees in supplication, would have if not for Five trying to drag her away.

When his free hand curled into a fist, azure light brightening the ghastly faces to either side, the tension that had been building around them came to a head. The table she’d tied the door closed with gave a screech of iron on tile to signal the arrival of another, and then the stocky shapes surrounding them moved as one, banshee wails erupting as they attacked.

Five knew that whatever insane plan his sister might have had in store, it had failed spectacularly. Without giving her warning, he blinked them halfway to the greenhouse, his attempts to go further thwarted by the physical, mental, and emotional exhausting weighing him down. _Shit! No! Fuck!_ He couldn’t lose another sibling. He couldn’t lose _her_! His limbs were leaden with cold and he was too tired for words, so even as Vanya gagged and stumbled in reaction to his power, he started to haul her towards the house. He would keep her safe whether she liked it or not.

They were feet from the greenhouse when Dad pushed the door open and erupted out into the night. His rifle was held high and steady, his eyes milk-white amidst a look of pure determination.

“You will not harm my children!” He bellowed before racing past them, towards the mass of creatures chasing after.

Even with danger almost literally nipping at their heels, and even knowing that it was a rumor spurring his actions, Five couldn’t help but gawk as Sir Reginald Hargreeves ran to their defense, his rifle letting off one, then two shots, and even that didn’t slow him. Their father twisted the rifle round and held it like a bat, then swung at their pursuers like a man possessed. Even Vanya had paused in her struggle against him to watch the spectacle. The dwarf-like creatures pressed in on him, the numbers too great, and he was swarmed and brought to his knees beneath their onslaught. Seeing him go down seemed to shake his sister from her stupor, and she yanked her arm away from him.

“Go Five! Leave!” And then she was running back.

“Fuck!”

Five snarled and chased after her, and in his panic that he wouldn’t reach her on time, he did the unthinkable. He tackled her from behind. They fell together in a tangled heap and she cried out, the snow absorbing the worst of their impact, but the attack only seemed to give her more vigor. Vanya fought him like a wild animal, clawing at the ground to try and get away while her feet kicked and her hips twisted. He managed to hold her, and they rolled sideways in their fight, Five attempting to lock her in with his arms and legs while she struggled to stay free.

In the back of his mind Five knew there wasn’t time for this, knew that every single heartbeat was another closer to death, but the idea of letting her sacrifice herself, even if she _was_ right and this _was_ somehow her fault and _her_ duty to fix, he couldn’t let her go, too selfish and needy and stubborn to give her up for even the life of his entire family. He refused. And so, he wrestled her for control, so engaged in the task that he didn’t realize there was a shackle around his ankle until it heaved him backwards and ripped him from her.

Rolling onto his back, Five barely had time to realize that he was being dragged straight towards the goat-man when he came to a swift stop, the chain around his ankle slack and taking him no further, the beasts in front of him knocked backwards as if some giant unseen hand had swept them aside. They flew towards their leader in rolling tumbles, the chain on his leg sprawled forgotten across the snow. Their father’s body was prone, right outside the basket that their brothers were in. Craning his neck around to look towards Vanya, to make sure she was okay, he wasn’t at all prepared for what he saw.

His sister was unrecognizable.

Her arms were stretched out in front of her, and waves of energy radiated off her body. He blinked. Vanya’s skin was almost as white as the snow, her eyes aglow with silver fury. Five didn’t understand, couldn’t wrap his brain around how it was possible, but he knew what it meant all the same. She wasn’t what their father had said. She wasn’t ordinary.

She drew closer, her eyes, hands, and focus fixed on the fiends ahead, and despite his awe, Five felt compelled to witness the impact of her actions. He looked forward and climbed to his feet as she stepped past him, her hair flying on invisible winds from the ripples of power cascading away from her. In front of them, the goat-man stood impassive, unconcerned as its minions scraped at the ground to try and anchor themselves, whatever Vanya’s ability was stirring them around in a whirlpool at its hooves.

And then it began to chuckle. Belly deep laughter rose from its mouth as a bright red tongue slithered out and hung loosely between sharp teeth, long and obscene, the tip flicking this way and that. The cackles were baritone and rumbling, as if the creature were really some cavernous cave bubbling with comical cruelty. He could _feel_ its amusement vibrating through him.

“Vanya…” His voice sounded too weak for comfort, but he couldn’t manage anything more as he crept behind his sister, her steps slowly and surely leading them closer to danger.

He reached out and tried to touch her, but the second his hand got too close a searing heat repelled him. Five glanced down and noticed that the snow beneath her was melting fast, and in front of them, the beasts she was controlling were beginning to glow, thin tendrils of white light forming between her and them. He swallowed and did the only thing he could: follow her.

When she was within arm’s reach of the goat-man, Vanya stopped, her hair beginning to bleach along with her school uniform. Five couldn’t touch her, couldn’t get through to her, and he couldn’t fathom how the thing in front of them was enduring the scorching surge aimed its way. The beast’s chuckling came to an abrupt end, and as the last of Vanya’s hair turned white, its hand shot out and curled around his sister’s head.

Five was stunned and frozen on the spot. The radiating white light glared brighter as Vanya reached up and beat at the oversized hand. Its dagger-like nails dug into the sides of her face as its tongue swayed out further – too far – and began to curl around her throat. Its fur and flesh sizzled, but it didn’t seem bothered, hand and tongue tightening and tightening and Five was shouting then, though he couldn’t remember starting and wasn’t sure what he was even saying. Begging. Pleading. Cursing. One of its horns began to crack, a hairline fracture racing from the base up to the tip, and Five yelled for it to let her go, his throat hoarse and his cries desperate. It twisted its wrist then, and the deafening crack that came before her body went limp broke him in a way he never could have imagined.

Something deep inside him snapped and fell as limp as Vanya’s thin legs and graceful arms. She was…

She was…

Was she…?

No. No, no, no, no…

NO!

It couldn’t be. It couldn’t. It _couldn’t_! He shook his head and backed up a step, unable to breath or see or think or feel. She was dead. But she couldn’t be. She _couldn’t_.

He refused to accept it! The laughter started again, but Five could barely register it.

No.

The despair squeezing his heart with an icy grasp loosened then flared hot, his stomach twisting into a painful knot as he tightened his hands into fists and pulled on every reserve of strength he had left. If this killed him then so be it, but he would not submit to the callous rules of fate. Spacetime was _his_. He’d never traveled in time before, never been allowed to even try, but life and death and Dad be damned. Five couldn’t let it end like this. He wouldn’t. And so, throwing together every equation he’d worked on over the last year, every formula he could contort and bend to his will, Five squeezed his hands around the fabric of spacetime and locked a time and place in his mind, hoping beyond hope that he wouldn’t end up lost in a vortex outside of reality. Then he jumped, the low cackle of victory and rattle of chains snuffed out.

Five stood a few feet ahead of where he’d been a moment ago, panting heavy and wild eyed as he stared around the rooftop. It was empty. It was empty, and silent, and there wasn’t an ounce of snow anywhere. Dropping his arms to his sides, he spun in a slow circle just to make sure, taking in the entire expanse before he took in a shuddering breath of the frigid night. Had he succeeded…? He swallowed, apprehensive, and knew there was only one way to find out.

As he turned toward the greenhouse and started to sprint, Five curled his hands again to try and blink downstairs, aware it would be fruitless but too anxious to not give it a go anyway. It of course didn’t work, and so he ran. Through the greenhouse, down the hall, then down, down, down the stairs to the second floor. He didn’t pause until he reached Vanya’s bedroom, and even then, it was only long enough to wrench the door open and step inside.

But she wasn’t there. Her bed was empty, and Five began to hyperventilate. What if he was too late?

Turning on his heel, Five pumped his legs as hard as he could, too scared and worried to care if anybody caught him. He yanked the front door and leapt off the stoop, first looking left and then right, unable to remember which way the mailbox was. And there she was, walking away, shoulders hunched with one hand in her pocket, the other clutching an envelope.

Something warm ballooned inside of him, and Five took off after her without a word. She must have heard his feet slapping against the pavement because she twirled around, her eyes large with alarm. When she spotted him and recognition dawned, her body relaxed and she opened her mouth to speak, but Five was already there and didn’t give her the chance.

Overwhelmed by a need to touch her, to make sure she was alive and feel the evidence himself, Five grabbed hold of her with both hands and brought her in to a tight embrace. Her hair was in his face and she was stuttering in confusion, but he didn’t care. She was here. She was alive and warm and breathing, and he clung to her with an all-consuming need. His cheeks felt wet then, and Five realized he was crying, this recognition sending a spark of laughter through his chest. He knew on some level he was near hysteria, but he didn’t care, and he cared even less when Vanya’s arms came around him to return the hug at last.

They stood that way in the cold night for some time, Five with his face buried in her hair and neck until he was sure she wouldn’t notice how emotional he’d become. He had a sneaking suspicion she’d been able to feel his chest heaving, but she said nothing, and he appreciated it. Once he felt more composed, Five leaned back and cleared his throat, wiping quickly at his eyes to make sure there was nothing left to see. His cheeks were hot with embarrassment, but he couldn’t stop the smile that grew when their gazes aligned.

“Hey.” He said lamely, not sure where to even start.

“Hey.” Her delicate brows furrowed. “What are you – what are you doing out here?”

He took a deep breath and let out a heavy sigh, all at once aware of how very cold his feet and hands were. He was in his pajamas and barefoot, all his injuries, save for those scarred too deeply to be seen, lost in time. He flexed his fingers and curled his toes.

“Let’s – can we talk inside? I’m freezing my ass off out here.”

“But I’m—”

“Trying to mail a letter, I know. And there is _no_ fucking way I’m letting you do that, so unless you want me wrestling it off ya, I’d suggest we head back before I get frostbite.”

“I don’t understand.” She glanced down at the envelope in her hand. “How do you even know about this?”

“Let’s just say…” He paused, wondering how best to put it so that they could hurry back in, but before he could think of anything a snowflake drifted down between them.

Both their eyes caught on it, and Vanya looked up, a smile blooming on her face that made his heart sing like spring. She was so pretty, and there was so much to talk about…

“Let’s call it a Christmas miracle.” He said at last, drawing her gaze away from the heavens. “Come on.”

He nodded his head back towards the mansion and was relieved when Vanya followed without any further debate. They walked in silence, and as they neared home, Five grew increasingly nervous. Their miracle continued as they got back inside without the entire house at alert about their absence. Nobody seemed to be awake, and while this let him breathe easier, it did little to quell his nerves. No, getting caught was definitely not his biggest concern…

They crept upstairs together, and when they got to her hallway and Vanya began to turn towards her bedroom, Five gently grabbed hold of her hand.

“Come upstairs with me.” He urged in a whisper. “Won’t have to worry about somebody narcing if they get up to piss.”

She hesitated for a moment then agreed, following him up the short flight to the attic, then down the hall to his bedroom. He closed the door behind them, then turned and watched her, his stomach fluttering in the most uncomfortable of ways. Couldn’t be helped. No matter his reservations, Five knew there were quite a few things they needed to discuss before he’d let her go to bed, so when she glanced over her shoulder at him he waved her on to take a seat, joining her a few seconds later.

They sat side by side, neither speaking for a long stretch, but he was excruciatingly aware of how close she was. He swallowed, then broke the hush.

“Your letter came true.” He stated plainly before looking at her. “Whatever demon you wrote to showed up. It wasn’t pretty, and I don’t think it was what you expected.”

“How do you know that?” Her eyes searched his, and he gave a tired half-smile, trying to dredge up some of the confidence he’d possessed less than 12-hours earlier.

“Time traveled. Just… trust me. It was shit.”

“Oh.” She looked down at the letter in her lap and frowned. “How bad was it…?”

A surge of fondness for her almost brought him to tears again, her unwavering belief too sweet for words. She didn’t doubt him, not even for a second, and knowing how much she trusted him was overwhelming. He had to clear his throat before going on, unable to stop his voice from coming out a little gruffer than he intended.

“ _Bad_ , bad. People died.” She didn’t need to know who, and when she looked up at him in question, he simply shook his head, and she understood enough to not ask more.

Her lip trembled and she looked down again, tears welling up and dropping onto the envelope before he even knew what was happening.

“I’m so sorry.” She said, her voice soft and wavering. “I didn’t know – I mean I didn’t think that—”

“Hey.” He interrupted, reaching out to touch her shoulder. “Hey, no. Of course you didn’t. I know you’d never do anything to hurt us like that, not on purpose at least.”

But whatever wound he’d opened, it wasn’t that easy to close again. Though she nodded in understanding, her shoulders began to shake in earnest as the tears fell heavier, giant splotches staining the paper as she hid her face behind a curtain of hair. Unsure of what to say, Five wrapped an arm around her and brought her closer until she laid her head against him and draped an arm around his waist.

“It’s okay V.” He murmured. “Shh. It’s okay. Everything turned out alright in the end.”

“But I’m such a bad person.” She responded, so soft and buried between cries that he’d barely heard it at all.

“No you aren’t.”

She looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy, and her cheeks flushed. It stirred something in his stomach, and he had an urge to kiss her. To kiss her eyes and cheeks and mouth and anywhere she’d let him. He licked his lips, trying not to glance down at hers.

“I am though.” She insisted, then held the letter out for him.

He knew reading it was probably a bad idea, but Five’s curiosity was too great. He couldn’t resist. Without a word he took it from her and tore it open, then began to read.

>   
>  _Dear Mister Krampus,_
> 
> _I would like to apologize in advance. While I am writing this letter to you, I must admit that I do not believe you exist. I want you to, but my heart tells me otherwise. Mom says that faith can bring people comfort in tough times though, and honestly, I could really use some right about now._
> 
> _Tomorrow is Christmas, but I will either spend the day alone in my room, or alone in the house. No matter which way it goes though, I will be all alone, my family away and doing one thing while I’m left to do another. I’m always alone you see. My family is full of special people with special powers, and I’m not one of them. I never have been, and I never will be. There’s nothing special about me at all, and I know that Dad will send me away soon. Mom was asking me about other places I might want to live someday, and about special classes I might want to take, so I know it’s coming. I’ll be sent away, and then eventually everybody will forget I even existed._
> 
> _And so, Mister Krampus, herein lies why I’m writing to you this Christmas Eve. More than anything I just want my family to understand what it feels like to be me. To be powerless and worried, afraid of getting ripped away from everything I know and love. I want them to care about me for once, to let me be part of them. That’s all I want._
> 
> _I know that’s probably too much to ask for and impossible to even make happen, but I think that maybe me just writing this down somewhere is helpful. I don’t know if anybody will ever get this letter, but if they do, at least they’ll know that Vanya Hargreeves existed and that she felt invisible and unloved. Maybe knowing that at least one person out there knows about me will help make me feel better._
> 
> _Anyway, I guess that’s about it. I was told Mister Claus handles the pleasant things, so if you could please pass along the message that Five and Ben should receive something nice, that would be great. Especially Five._
> 
> _All the best and have a wonderful Christmas if you exist. Thank you kindly._
> 
> _Regards,_
> 
> _Vanya Hargreeves_

Five folded the letter closed and sighed, unable to muster even the barest aggravation at her. As he’d suspected, there’s been nothing genuinely malicious in her note, but even if there had been, he knew it wouldn’t have made much difference to him at all. He looked up at her, her large brown eyes still red and lined with tears.

“See?” She asked. “I’m horrible. I _wanted_ them to get hurt.”

Five barked out a laugh, unable to resist. God did he love her. He had a lot to talk about with her still and a lot of things to try and repair. He’d be the demon she needed if necessary, and he would make sure the others understood that the way they treated her wouldn’t be tolerated going forward. He would refuse to pander to Dad’s whims anymore if it led to her being alone. The old bastard would learn who the _real_ powerhouses were in the Academy and he would learn to accept it. Five would also need to investigate her ability. Something had brought it out, and he wanted to know what that was exactly.

There was a lot of things he would need to do in the coming days, but more than anything else he wanted to make sure Vanya knew that she wasn’t alone. Not anymore.

“Give me permission.” He said, keeping his stare locked onto hers.

“Permission? For what?”

Heat pooled in his stomach and his chest felt buoyant with nervousness.

“To kiss you.” He said, a grin creeping into the corner of his mouth as her cheeks grew pink.

“Oh. Okay.” She whispered. “You have my permi—”

Before she could finish the word, Five leaned in and pressed his lips to hers, both of their eyes open through the chaste action. He pulled away then and searched her face, looking for any signs that this wasn’t what she wanted and finding none.

“Was that okay?” He asked, and when she nodded, a giant smile erupted on his face, her own expression mirroring his in an instant.

“Five?” Her voice was too soft, but Five felt so aware of her now that he wouldn’t have been surprised to read her thoughts.

“Hmm?”

“Can you kiss me again?” Her cheeks grew a shade darker, and Five felt like his would split open with how happy he felt.

“Not even a stupid Christmas demon could stop me.” He boasted, then slipped a hand behind her head and pulled her in, this time both closing their eyes as the letter dropped to the floor at their feet.

Yeah, Five mused as their lips pressed together and he tilted his head to get closer, if she needed a demon to dish out justice for her, then he was just the man for that job.

**Author's Note:**

> Ah so I hope that wasn't too terrible! Let me know though if you guys are interested in more horror stories for the Academy :)


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